Abstract: A method controls the color in a printing press, which includes at least one printing station printing a respective color design. The method includes the procedures of determining a control factor to color model, printing a design on a web and acquiring color characteristics corresponding to the printed design on the web. The method further includes the procedures of determining the color quality of the printed color design and determining a required change to at least one control factor when a correction to the color characteristics of the printed design is required. The change to at least one control factor is determined by determining the at least one control factor with respective color related information, which results in a reference color characteristic, according to the control factor to color model. The method returns to the procedure of printing when a correction is not required.

Abstract: A method controls the color in a printing press, which includes at least one printing station printing a respective color design. The method includes the procedures of determining a control factor to color model, printing a design on a web and acquiring color characteristics corresponding to the printed design on the web. The method further includes the procedures of determining the color quality of the printed color design and determining a required change to at least one control factor when a correction to the color characteristics of the printed design is required. The change to at least one control factor is determined by determining the at least one control factor with respective color related information, which results in a reference color characteristic, according to the control factor to color model. The method returns to the procedure of printing when a correction is not required.

Abstract: A color measurement system laterally determines chromatic characteristics of a printed substrate. A measurement carriage includes a measurement head for laterally moving across the printed substrate and a measurement magnetic coupler slidably mounts onto a measurement rail positioned on a first side of the printed substrate. A backing carriage includes backing surface(s) and backing magnetic coupler(s). Each backing magnetic coupler is associated with a respective backing surface. Each backing magnetic coupler can be coupled with the measurement magnetic coupler for coupling the measurement carriage with the backing carriage. The backing carriage slidably mounts onto a backing rail positioned on a second opposite side of the printed substrate. The measurement carriage or backing carriage includes a motor for moving across a respective measurement rail or backing rail.

Abstract: A color measurement system laterally determines chromatic characteristics of a printed substrate. A measurement carriage includes a measurement head for laterally moving across the printed substrate and a measurement magnetic coupler slidably mounts onto a measurement rail positioned on a first side of the printed substrate. A backing carriage includes backing surface(s) and backing magnetic coupler(s). Each backing magnetic coupler is associated with a respective backing surface. Each backing magnetic coupler can be coupled with the measurement magnetic coupler for coupling the measurement carriage with the backing carriage. The backing carriage slidably mounts onto a backing rail positioned on a second opposite side of the printed substrate. The measurement carriage or backing carriage includes a motor for moving across a respective measurement rail or backing rail.

Abstract: Accurate on-line color control for a printing press can be obtained using intra-image color control. A concurrent spectrophotometer and imaging system can capture spectral reflectance data from predetermined measurement areas for each ink key zone of the press. The spectral reflectance data can be compared to target reflectance values in the same standard color space, and a determination can be made as to whether the differences between the measured and target values exceed predetermined tolerances. If the differences exceed these tolerances, a necessary adjustment to the appropriate ink key can be calculated to bring the color differences back to within tolerance. This approach is particularly beneficial in web offset printing, where the printed image is constantly moving and the press conditions are particularly variable.